2006-07 A Cut Above, Newspaper

a cut above The Best of the Best from the 2006-2007 Individual Category Newspaper Contest Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

The Cover Photo

Senior Chanel Hicks displays her flexibility on ice by performing a beilman leg stretch move. Photo by Emanuel Johnson, Southfield High School, First Place Winner, Sports Photo, Division 1.

Published by Michigan Interscholastic Press Association 305 Communication Arts Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 353-6761 Fax: (517) 355-7710 E-mail: mipa@msu.edu Web site: mipa.jrn.msu.edu

January 2008

Dear Friends of Journalism:

T

his is the eleventh issue of Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s A Cut Above, which contains the best of high school journalism in Michigan. The purpose of this booklet is twofold: 1) to showcase the first-place winners in the MIPA Individual Category Newspaper Contest and 2) to act as a guide for students and advisers preparing contest entries for the 2006-2007 competitions.

In the following pages you will find stories and art by first-place winners among the five divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and Middle School for newspaper. We have included category descriptions and judging criteria for each category.

This is how we determine divisions: We look at the number of students from each school that enters the contest. We use the numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics. We put schools in order from the largest down to the smallest. Division 1 contains the largest schools, and Division 4 contains the smallest. We try hard to put nearly the same number of schools in each division.

We are proud of all the winners and wish we could have published all of them, but size and space dictated how many, and in some cases, which ones, were printed. Since all the winning entries were retyped to fit the format, we apologize if any errors were made in the stories. Please remember these are just a sampling of the stories.

If you would like to help judge the 2007-2008 entries for the Individual Category Newspaper and Yearbook contests, please call the MIPA office at (517) 353-6761 or e-mail mipa@msu.edu. Judging will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the MSU School of Journalism. We need you!

I’d like to thank Julie Price, the current newspaper chairperson, and Lynn Strause, the current yearbook chairperson, who both did a fantastic job of pulling off last year’s judging. This is a huge project, and we all owe them a round of applause!

I’d also like to thank Amy Brandt and Jonathan Vereckee for typing all of the stories, laying out the pages and scanning images. These two MIPA employees work hard for all of us!

Finally, I’d like to thank all the wonderful advisers, the MIPA executive board, The State News staff members and School of Journalism faculty for giving up a chunk of your Saturday to come to MSU to help judge. Without you, of course, there would be no winners!

For complete information about all of the contests, please check out the MIPA Web site at http://mipa.jrn.msu.edu. Cheryl Pell is the Webmaster, and she has made all forms available as PDF files, which you can download and print out.

Sincerely, Cheryl M. Pell MIPA director 305 Communication Arts Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 PHONE: (517) 353-6761 FAX: (517) 355-7710 E-MAIL: pell@msu.edu

News Story

Sam Wohns East Grand Rapids High School Until three weeks ago, students’ grades and other confidential information were publicly available online for anyone to view.

“Student’s grades were exposed,” Director of Technology Doug Jenkins said.

Easy Grade Pro is the software used instead of traditional paper grade books within the district. Files were accessible through the district web site. While it is unclear exactly how long the files were vulnerable, the issue has been taken care of and all grades are now secure.

“Old files of new files, this is a concern that teachers have files stored in their W drive,” Jenkins said. The W drive is a public folder that acts as a portal to the Internet.

“I’ve found one teacher’s grade book from 2006,” but altogether “about ten current staffers have stored grade books,” Manager of Networking and Security Jeff Crawford said.

Teachers whose grades were exposed declined to comment on the matter.

Along with student grades, the grade books often include other private data. Passwords used to access online grades were available. A perpetrator could have potentially used the passwords to view current online grades. In some cases, telephone numbers and addresses were also vulnerable.

Brendan Plumstead ’08 was one of the students whose grades were open to unauthorized access, but he was not aware of the privacy breach.

“If it is anything after my freshman year, it would bother me,” Plumstead said.

Grade security is not a new issue for the technology department. Shortly after Easy Grade Pro was adopted by the district years ago, it was possible to gain unauthorized access to grades.

“We found out an enterprising student could use Google to search for very specific things,” Crawford said.

The technology department contacted Google and requested that the search engine limit searches on the dis-

trict web site. Although the issue was quickly taken care of, the security of grades is an ongoing concern.

“We’ve done a lot to respond to these things. We are only as good as the last step,” Crawford said.

A long-term solution is in the works that could prevent a security breach from occurring again. “We’re looking to put a parent portal together that would save teachers from having to export their grades,” Jenkins said. The new technology should be implemented by summer.

“It gets rid of the weakest link,” Crawford said.

While the district blocks select web sites on all of the student computers in the school, students have found a way to bypass the software.

The program that the district uses groups everything on the Internet into 13 different categories. Students are restricted from areas of the web including pornographic web sites, and web sites that focus on drugs and alcohol.

Gaming web sites and social networking web sites are also disallowed by the program.

Scott Ammon ’07 has used open proxies to play games at school.

“I think more and more kids are finding out about the tunnels,” Ammon said. “I always see kids using it in the math lab.”

“We are well aware of the open proxies, lets just say that going to an open proxy is as good as sign of guilt as anything,” Crawford said.

“Everything that you do and don’t do on the Internet is written down.”

Ammon knows that his activities are tracked, but is not worried about repercussions. “If teachers catch us, they just tell us to stop and do our homework instead.”

The current system utilizes a blacklist, meaning all the web sites are allowed by default, unless the software specifically lists a site as inappropriate. A white list is used for the student laptop program. Blocking software that uses a white list only allows acceptable web sites to be accessed.

Internet access is currently the same for all grade levels, but this could change in the future.

A first grader needs a much different version of the internet than an 18-year-old,” Crawford said.

News stories report but not interpret events that have news value and timeliness to the publication’s readers. Either advance or follow-up stories may be included in this category.

Guidelines • sharp, attention-getting lead that underscored news story importance • shows thorough reporting skills • effective use of facts/ quotes from both primary and secondary sources • avoids opinion unless properly attributed • sentences, paragraphs of varied lengths; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of third person • uses inverted pyramid or other appropriate story construction

First place winners by division 1 Evan Welch Grosse Pointe South 2 Adel Johnson Portage Central 3 Sam Wohns East Grand Rapids 4 Matthew Hampel Community M Amanda Smith Bellevue

A Cut Above 5

News Analysis News Analysis Stories should be interpretive by nature, not straight news stories. The elements of “why” and “how” should be examined through thorough research, but the writer’s opinions should not be expressed.

Guidelines • sharp, attention-getting lead that underscores news story importance • clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact, prominence • clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news • develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources.

• avoids personal opinions unless properly attributed • sentences, paragraphs of varied lengths, written clearly, concisely and vividly • effective use of facts/ quotes from both primary and secondary sources • proper diction/grammar; use of third person

First place winners by division 1 Jennifer Nigro Midland 2 Reyna Levine Loy Norrix 3 Summer Ballentine Fenton 4 Liz Grden Mercy M Katie Bultema Mona Shores

6 A Cut Above

Peace Within Reach

Mercy students seek to aid Ugandan children Liz Grden Mercy High School

When a child is kidnapped in the United States, such as Elizabeth Smart, an Amber Alert is sent out. Family, friends, and authorities work tirelessly together to bring the child safely home.

In Northern Uganda, thousands of children have been taken from their homes, some as young as 8 years old. Some have no parents. There is no Amber Alert for them.

The 20 year old war in Uganda between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a faction of rebels operating out of Sudan, has left over 1.6 million people homeless, many living on the streets, suffering from severe malnutrition.

The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, began around 1986 as a band of insurgents determined to oppose the Ugandan government. In the 18 years he has led the LRA, the group has yet to be defeated.

Part of the reason for Kony’s success could be his cruel method of recruitment. The LRA abducts children from their homes in villages and raises them to fight in the bush—using guerilla warfare against their won family and friends, scared for their lives and forced to attack and kill.

According to recent surveys taken by the United Nations and youth in Uganda, somewhere between 30,000 and 66,000 children have been taken since the war began.

Others claim that is a severe understatement. About 80% of the LRA’s soldiers are captured children.

When three young Californians went to Sudan to document the genocide there, they became stranded in Northern Uganda. They witnessed firsthand children fleeing into larger towns to sleep at night, because of the threat of being snatched by the LRA. There are thousands of such children. They walk up to 20 miles each night, usually barefoot because their families cannot afford shoes. They seek the safety that larger, more populated towns provide from the LRA. They sleep where they can find shelter, or, if they find none, on the streets.

“They sleep like sardines—in bus stations, on storefronts, or in crowded hallways” said Emily Lockhart, a Mercy senior and avid supporter of the Invisible Children cause.

The mission of Invisible Children, stemming from a documentary called “Rough Cut” made by the Californians, is simple: to bring aid to the poor and hopeless in Uganda, and to educate people about their situation.

According to the Invisible Children website (www.invisiblechildren.com), “The darkest thing about Africa is the world’s ignorance about it.” These children do not make the evening news or the front page of the major newspapers.

To combat the LRA, the Ugandan government has set up camps for Internally Displaced People. They are guarded by the Ugandan People’s Defense Force, but in many ways the camps are just as bad as living in fear of the LRA. These camps are grossly overpopulated and appallingly unsanitary. The camps, despite efforts to protect the people there, are still raided by LRA almost nightly.

To raise money, the Invisible Children foundation sponsors a bracelet campaign. Unlike most non-profit organizations, Invisible Children does more than just send the money from the bracelets to Uganda: For example, Lockhart explains how the $20 she paid for her bracelet benefits the children of Uganda, as well as their families.

“These bracelets are made in Uganda, by the women there.” Lockhart said. “Not only do the funds from the bracelets go directly there, but the women are also paid for making them.”

There are eight different bracelets, and each one tells a story. Her bracelet, called “Grace”, is the story of a young girl who was abducted at age 10. She lived in fear for four years, being raped and forced to fight in the bush alongside the LRA. She fought, and she saw friends die. When, at age 14, she found the courage to escape, she was shot in the foot by the LRA. She survived to tell her story, but many others are not that lucky.

These mere children are taken, made to fight, repeatedly raped, and used as sex slaves. They have no rights and no hope. They are constantly in shame, and if they even can return to their families, they come back in disgrace.

Like the founders of Invisible Children, Emily Lockhart is trying to end the global indifference here at Mercy. She plans to show the documentary, organize a group to raise awareness, and arrange a letter writing campaign to state senators.

“Not only are we women for others here at Mercy, we are women for women,” Lockhart said.

Here at Mercy, it is important to make things right. End the apathy and lack of concern. It’s time to see the Invisible Children.

Lockhart has created a group to raise awareness and discuss the tragedies that occur every day in Uganda. There are showings of Invisible Children: Rough Cut every week after school in the chapel, followed by discussions. The goal is to have every student view the documentary. The showings will continue every other week next semester.

If enough students show interest in the child soldiers, there is the possibility of a guest speaker next semester as well. For more information, please visit the Invisible Children website, www.invisiblechildren.org and listen to the morning announcements.

Editorial

Recent staff cuts cause more harm than good Staff Saline High School Counselors Pat Kwapis and Kathryn Willis and science teacher Jon Way received a not-so-pleasant early Christmas gift when they were told in late November that come the beginning of second semester, they would be without jobs.

These three are just a few of the several district staff members who will be laid off midyear as a cost-cutting method by administrators. Due to state revenues coming in $170 million under projections, Saline is among many districts experiencing severe financial distress.

There’s no question that district administrators have to deal with this financial crisis. However, at some point the district will have to weigh the advantages of cutting staff to how it affects students and staff alike.

Generally when school staff members have a job at the beginning of the year, they plan on keeping it through the final day of school. Thus, finding another employment opportunity midyear is difficult. Yet, due to a mix of poor planning by the school district and Michigan’s terrible economy, three high school staffers will be let go shortly after mid-term exams.

The effect on the staff members themselves and their families is severe, but the effect on the students cannot be overlooked either. The cuts in the counseling department seem especially questionable considering the fact that most seniors are in the middle of applying to college.

In addition, the difficult job of scheduling classes for students will be made more difficult with the loss of experienced people.

Over four years, a certain rapport is obtained between counselors and students, and to think that same relationship can be forged with a complete stranger in the middle of the year is unreasonable.

Perhaps this move is most cruel because of the events of the past two years, as SHS has been forced to deal with two student suicides. You would think that counselors would be more valued by district administrators in order to maintain the well-being of the students.

Sure, this strategy of cutting staff is a quick fix for the budget. However, doesn’t it seem like it’s only really a

band-aid for a bullet hole? Cutting two counselors and one teacher during the middle of the year will save the school a couple bucks, but when you weigh that with how these staff members’ lives will be affected by layoffs and by how the students will be shortchanged, the cuts seem unreasonable, unfair, and most of all unsympathetic.

Last year, former Superintendent Sam Sinicropi set out to find the most effective and supported methods of cost cutting and revenue production. The Long Range Planning Committee, Sinicropi’s research group, found several options to raise revenue and cut costs. These included a “pay-to-pay” fee, advertising at the football stadium, and a .25 millage for Saline residents. All of these options were deemed feasible by the district and were supported by the community members.

To date, only the “pay-to-pay” fee has been instituted.

Why then is the most recent cost-cutting method teacher layoffs? Staff layoffs should be a last resort to save money, only after all the options have been explored.

The most obvious solution is making Saline Schools a school of choice, a policy allowing students from other districts to attend Saline Schools. True, the idea is controversial. But it is a quick and easy way for the district to make significant money.

The money saved by the district by the various staff cuts totaled $301,500. If the district did become a schoolof-choice district and a mere 100 students were spread amongst all the schools, the district would make $744,000.

Not only would that eliminate the $671,000 deficit the district currently faces, it would also save the district from having to make any changes at all. This is an added three quarters of a million dollars each year.

If the students were spread among the schools equally, no new teachers would be needed. Not only would that eliminate the deficit the district currently faces, but it would also save the district from having to make any changes at all.

Superintendent Beverley Geltner said at the Nov. 28 school board meeting that, “not a day goes by, or a second goes by without an absolute focus for what is core, and that is our students and the people who serve them.”

While this sounds wonderful, actions speak much louder than words.

Editorial Editorials should represent the opinion of the staff, editors or editorial board on a timely news matter of concern to the school, community, state, nation or world. They may express appreciation, offer interpretation or attempt to deal with problems.

Editorials are not to be bylined, signed or initialed, or in any way identified as being the opinion of the writer(s).

Guidelines • topic relevant to interest and/or welfare of school or students • wins reader interest with impelling lead • presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • states issues; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deals with specific issue; avoids preaching and rhetoric cliches • shows sufficient thought and research • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Staff Saline

2 Sarah Grether HH Dow 3 Sean Callan Fenton 4 Staff Community

A Cut Above 7

Bylined Opinion Bylined Opinion Articles of personal opinion, which carry the byline of the writer(s), may comment on any subject of interest (including sports) and/or concern of the readers, or may express dissent from the majority opinion expressed in editorials.

Guidelines • topic relevant to interest and/or welfare of school or students • wins reader interest with impelling lead • presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • states issues; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deals with specific issues; avoids preaching, rhetoric and cliches • shows sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Joseph Xu Novi 2 Renee Lee Utica 3 Rhiannon Zielinski Gull Lake 4 Dylan Cinti Community M Andrea Partenio Mona Shores

8 A Cut Above

Should more current events be taught in school?

Rhiannon Zielinski Gull Lake High School Thousands of innocent people have died in the genocide in Darfur, yet many teens could not point to Darfur on a map. The United States is trapped in a war with Iraq, with no easy solution in sight, yet I doubt even half of adolescents could describe the differences among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. To prepare my generation for the future, schools must focus on current events.

Adding current events into the curriculum would only take 10 minutes every Friday to review the events of the week.

Each student could bring in an article from the local paper or an editorial from online. These articles would inform students about world events while also sparking debate and constructive discussion.

In my world history class, I constantly hear pejorative terms to describe people of Arab descent, terms that are never appro-

priate. This type of ignorance and racism is coming from the future doctors, educators and CEOs of America. If students were taught current events, they would realize that what happens outside of our country has an effect on our lives, regardless of whether we support their culture or not.

Americans depend on other countries for imports like oil and sugar, not to mention that many of our possessions are made in China or another country. It’s vital for students to understand that the United States cannot stand on its own; we need to be taught about world events.

Before teens reach voting age, they need to be aware of what they are voting on. Schools must make sure students are prepared to form their won opinions and views of the world.

Perhaps we could decrease the many derogatory comments I hear every day due to lack of understanding and compassion for those who are different from us, and begin to finally make a difference.

Review

Hoagie Heaven Josslyn Allers Mona Shores High School It is three o’clock in the morning. Do you know where your friends are? They are probably at Willy’s Hoagie Factory, enjoying the Philadelphia cuisine and comfortable atmosphere.

The cute-and-cozy sandwich joint, which is located at 2084 Henry St. and opened in April between Hackly and Laketon, offers delicious Philly cheese steak sandwiches, hoagies, and fryer foods.

I was first drawn to the restaurant because of the hours.

Willy’s is opened five days a week: Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3a.m.

I don’t know of any other restaurants in Muskegon open so late- besides greasy fast food that reminds me of salty deepfried cardboard that has been sitting under heat lamps for three hours. You can’t even sit down in those places.

I know what you are thinking: how does Josslyn know about the only authentic Philadelphia restaurant in Muskegon, and I don’t? Well my uncle Dave Naughton is the owner, and I am an employee.

“Other restaurants may say they offer authentic sandwiches, but they don’t have the meat (from Philadelphia), or they may have it but not the bread. One bakery in Philadelphia supplies all of the Philly cheese steak buns,” Dave said. “I’ve looked all over the Internet, in every magazine I’ve gotten, and the closest place that sells the bred is in Toledo, Ohio.”

The first time I experienced Willy’s it was informal and comfortable. A bell tingled against the door as a customer reading the paper gave me a smile with a mouth full of Dave’s homemade chili.

The interior is small, but not in a cramped way; it seems to fit like a glove. Immediately, the smell of sautéed onions and sirloin made my mouth water. Toward the left was the kitchen area, and Dave waved from the grill. The right side holds the three comfortable booths; a tall, round table; and a television set loud enough to hear over the fans in the kitchen.

“We like to laugh and enjoy ourselves,” said Dave, joking

with the regulars.

Upon Dave’s recommendation, I ordered a 6-inch Italian hoagie, which includes deli ham, spicy cappicola ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, green peppers, onions, house dressing and house spices. It cost $4.45 for the sandwich, $2 more for a combo (fries and a soda), and $7.45 for a 12-inch Italian.

“There is a special technique to eat that,” Dave said.

“You need to peel the wax paper off like a banana; otherwise, everything will fall out.”

Some other foods on the menu are the Philly (the most popular), home-made marinara meatball subs, pizza steak, jalapeño pepper steak, different hoagies, and deep fried foods, such as mushrooms, fries, and onion rings. All of the cheese steaks come with sautéed onions, shaved sirloin, and various cheeses.

In this day of economic distress, privately-owned businesses seldom become successful or only remain open for less than a year.

“Different people measure success by different things,” Dave said. “Two sisters are regulars here, born and raised in Philly and were very skeptical of the food and they tried it.

They loved the food, and each week they took a sandwich to their 95-year-old father who lived in a nursing home. It was the only food he ate in its entirety for the last month of his life. After the funeral, they thanked me for making their father’s last meals enjoyable. I’ve always equated success with money, but it isn’t about that. It’s about bringing something to the people and making them feel good.”

Since teens’ money is limited and leaves the pocket as soon as its put in there, the prices are reasonable and manageable.

“I went to every restaurant in town that serves sandwiches and got their menus. I made sure I was comparable to those places but still maintain manageable food cost,” Dave said.

It is a surprise that nobody else in Muskegon started a Philadelphia-based eatery since Willy’s is going so well.

“I’ve always loved to cook, always wanted to own my own restaurant. When the opportunity came up, I took it.

I did not want to live with regrets,” Dave said.

Review Review should present opinions, observations and evaluations of film, books, television, recordings, concerts, plays, restaurants and other things of interest to the paper’s readers.

Guidelines • sharp, attention-getting lead that clarifies subject • gives short summary or adequate information about subject • discusses strengths and weaknesses of subject • uses specific examples to support opinion • displays knowledge of subject • shows thought and research • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Joseph Xu Novi 2 Josslyn Allers Mona Shores 3 Maria Brundage Dexter 4 Lizzy Eklund Berrien Springs M Taylor Brooks Traverse City West

A Cut Above 9

Feature Column Feature Column Each entry must consist of two examples of feature and/or opinion columns under the same standing head from different issues of the paper, authorized by the same writer(s). Columns must carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content.

Guidelines • sharp, attention-getting leads • express personal opinions; uses consistent style • reflects thought/research, freshness, individuality • effective use of facts/ quotes or supporting material • informative, interesting, entertaining • upholds journalistic integrity • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely an vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Marissa Filmore Midland 2 Corissa Carlson Flushing 3 Becky Fritter Mason 4 Ashley Dewitt West Catholic M Kyle Huggett Traverse City West

10 A Cut Above

The joke that will never be funny Becky Fritter Mason High School A Jewish student changes school districts due to constant torment regarding her religious faith. The football team’s homecoming float proudly displays the word “spick.” A substitute teacher of Middle Eastern descent leaves school grounds, reduced to tears, after being harassed by a student making quips about her “relation” to Osama Bin Laden. A teacher exploits the anniversary of 9/11 to push his own views on “Islamo-fascism.”

I am not proud to let you know that all of these incidents have occurred in this very school. In fact, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Although I can’t grasp the theory, Chris Sottek ’07 finds justification in racism; “I don’t use it as a serious term, I use it as something to joke around with.” Sadly enough, his voice echoes a growing number of people in this community and across the world who find hilarity in hate speech.

Darian Shaler ’07 boasts several trips the MHS discipline office for racism. Although he admits harassing an Arabic substitute to the point where she left MHS crying her eyes out, he claims he is “not really racist.”

“My best friend is black,” he said.

School administrations everywhere seem to be turning their cheeks at these offenses, and MHS is no exception.

According to principal Lance Delbridge, last year a student in Mason’s student section chanted racial slurs at opposing black players during a Waverly hosted basketball game. After confessing his participation, the student’s punishment was merely suspension from the year’s remaining extracurricular activities. As if that wasn’t lenient enough, the sentence was later lessened to almost nothing, and he was allowed to return under the stipulation of sitting with his parents.

Perhaps the dreariest thought isn’t that these offenses are being shuffled under the rug, or that these slurs are commonly mistaken for jokes, but that it is not just students who are doing the targeting inside school walls.

English/Social Studies teacher Matt Johnson used class time on 9/11 to express personal opinions to his Psychology class and play an audio clip of notorious bigot Rush Limbaugh. While I was present in this class, Johnson repeated several times the word “Islamo-fascist,” and recounted some of his own thoughts for me during a forty-minute interview. “I’m not opposed to what they call [racial] pro-

filing,” he said. “You’re not being prejudiced, you’re being mildly observant.”

Johnson does not feel that his incessant use of the phrase “Islamo-fascism” (a favorite phrase of Limbaugh) insinuated that Islam is in any way a negative religion, while admitting that he has not presented a positive or even neutral side of Islam. “It should be recognized that the terrorist organizations I’m speaking of are Islamic,” Johnson stated. “They’re not Protestant extremists.”

Johnson also stated that he felt his remarks were appropriate, even though politics are not a part of any course he teaches.

“Anything that I said I would have no problem saying in a public venue to a school board and the taxpayers in this community,” he said. “I wonder if every other teacher and administrator would do the same.”

Personally, I wonder whether or not it is suitable for anyone unable to teach objectively to be in a position of authority over thirty receptive students every hour.

Personally, I challenge Johnson to stand in front of a school board in Dearborn and repeat his remarks with full conviction.

Personally, I challenge this and every other school administration to give racist offenders more than just a slap on the wrist- does anyone else see the irony when this stupidity is least punishable in an educational background?

Personally, I’m trying to find where our compassion as humans has gone. We will never progress to the point where expressed racist thoughts will be clever commentary. Quite the opposite; it makes one party look painstakingly unintelligent and their targets feel a way that their attackers will never be able to comprehend. It is critical to realize, right now, that this type of progression does not and will never exist because it is actually retrogression.

So please stop pretending there isn’t a problem just because racism isn’t presenting itself in an easily recognizable white hood. And on the rare occasion when we actually decided to take a stand and address prejudice, do not assume that its remedy is ignoring the differences between colors and cultures. The only real counteraction is knowledge, and for most of you, that means experiencing something other than the power of existing in the majority. Don’t you see what this really is about, that true prejudice is deprecating and pigeonholing out of fear? Can’t you see that you are just scared to death of what you don’t understand?

Pro/Con Editorial Columns

International Baccalaureate Jasmine Brooks & Kirby and Megan Browning Fenton High School Pro—Jasmine Brooks

Con—Kirby and Megan Browning

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program being initiated in the Fenton School District is just what Fenton needs.

Between a re-mastered curriculum and bringing teachers up to new standards, Fenton High School will be given an extra boost above other area schools. Right now there are only five certified IB Diploma Program schools in Michigan (Detroit Country Day, Heritage High School, International Academy, Lansing Eastern High School, Portage Central and Northern High School.) The benefits of bringing the IB program to Fenton can be predicted through looking at other schools in the area that carry the program.

One of the main focuses for bringing the IB Program to Fenton is the new graduation requirements for the State of Michigan Public Schools. These new requirements for the class of 2011 include taking one online course and completing Algebra II to name a few. Besides the IB Program being up to par with the new graduation requirements, students in an IB based school are proven to score better on the ACT. Right now the average composite score for FHS is 21. The prestigious International Academy of Detroit, which offers a full schedule of IB courses, has an average composite score of 28. The improvements are clearly seen in having a new IB curriculum. One of the best influences of the program is the extra training given to teachers. They will learn various approaches to teaching the students (i.e. hands-on examples and assertion). Besides learning how to better educate students, teachers will also be following a cohesive curriculum, linking all classes to the same learning standards and daily work, regardless of the teacher. This cohesive curriculum makes it easier for students to move up the ladder of education.

The skepticism of the IB Program are justified as this program is a new generation of education and will allot for drastic changes to both the students and staff at FHS. The thought that all students will become same and loose their individuality is false. Instead, this program allows for several options of learning styles by making teaching more applicable to students by looking to the community for problems and examples. Some feel that if the IB Program will push out all the fine arts and hands-on programs. In order to preserve these electives, the classes will remain part of the curriculum.

The options to take full IB courses and earn the IB diploma will be offered, but in addition, an FHS diploma with selected IB classes and FHS classes will be offered and finally a standard FHS diploma will be offered. These points clearly are not an impacting problem to the IB Program and the program’s benefits heavily outweigh the cons.

The IB Program coming to the Fenton School District is a wonderful opportunity that will set the Fenton School District’s education standards high. Fenton High School needs to eventually increase the standard of education and doing it sooner than latter is the best course of action. By enabling students more education, Fenton High School is fulfilling their mission statement of “learning today and leading tomorrow.”

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is designed to improve a student’s higher level thinking skills and prepare them for the future. Much like communism, the IB Program makes perfect sense on paper, but when placed into the real world, it quickly falls apart under the weight of its own illogic.

The American system of education is not perfect; far from it. However, students are not separated based on their abilities. Everyone is offered the same courses and has the opportunity to excel. No one is looked down upon because they did not take AP Calculus or Honors Literature and Composition.

Everyone is given an equal shot. The IB Program gives you one chance to make it into the diploma program. You are either in or out.

The IB Program is an expensive way to show teachers a different approach to teaching. Good teachers relate their subjects to the real world. They teach so anyone, as much as possible, is able to understand. Chances are, 20 years from now a student will not remember the curriculum they were taught nearly as well as they remember the teachers themselves. Instead of turning to a new curriculum we should start by hiring better teachers.

Plumbing is honorable and decent work and there is no shame in it. At the same time, people who know that they will end up in this field do not need to be forced through a curriculum that is irrelevant to their lives. People are not created the same, yet IB wants people to reflect on everything they learn in a structured way. Being told how to reflect will not have the same meaning as if you reflect on your own.

Fenton is very supportive of the arts, with a number of very successful programs. These programs have little place in the vaunted IB Program. The IB website states that, while liberal arts classes would exist, they would focus less on performance and more on theory. These groups exist to showcase talent, not to simply know facts about their art form. What good is drama club that never puts on a production?

Our administration will tell you that IB will make our FHS graduates more capable of attending universities overseas, making them “Global Citizens.” However, no Fenton student has ever inquired about attending college overseas. If students choose to take the IB Diploma Program, they are required to participate in community service, something that supporters of IB say will make students into better people. However, requiring a student to do community service will take away from such organizations as National Honors Society and Key Club programs, which take students who want to go above and beyond and participate in community service.

IB will mandate higher-level thinking and reflection about things that do not matter to many of the people subjected to it. It will prepare already exceptional students for the real world, while leaving the rest of us behind. IB was created to bridge the gap between the higher and lower achieving students, yet all it seems to do is further alienate average students.

International continued on page 21

Pro/Con Editorial Each entry must

• have two (2) columns that express opposing viewpoints on one topic • the columns should be written by two people and featured on one page of the opinion/editorial section • both columns should be glued to the same entry form • have a standing head that indicates the pro/con nature of the package • carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal opinion nature of the content A school may submit a second entry in this category, and the pieces may be written by the same columnists or combination including one of the same columnists.

Guidelines • topics relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students • two pieces, while offering opposing views, are consistent in style and tone • both pieces win reader interest with impelling leads • present evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • State issue; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deal with specific issue; avoids preaching, rhetoric and clichés • show sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style

First place winners by division 1 D. Robertson & I. Babinski Grand Blanc 2 J. Nigro & E. Sanders Midland 3 M. Gage & R. Ray Portage Central 4 J. Brooks, K. & M. Browning Fenton M H. Wesner, C. Blommer, J. Patterson & T. Schroder Bellevue

A Cut Above 11

Personality Profile Personality Profile The personality profile captures the life, interests and accomplishments of well known or interesting people, based on interviews. The subject(s) should have experiences, thoughts and accomplishments worth reporting.

Anecdotes add to the personality profile.

Guidelines • leads capture attention, arouses curiosity; reason for sketch is made clear early in story • emphasizes fresh angle; individualizes person • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources • avoids encyclopedic listing of subjects accomplishments • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Lila Wiaduck Grand Haven 2 Aileen Xu & Gina Holder HH Dow 3 Melissa Dulic Haslett 4 Joslyn Young Community M Carter Payne Traverse City West

12 A Cut Above

The world says good-bye A look into the life, death and achievements of Steve Irwin Carter Payne Traverse City West Junior High School On September 4th, 2006, when Steve Irwin was filming some shallow water shots for a television show in the Great Barrier Reef near Queensland, Australia an event happened that shocked the world. The cameraman in front of Irwin swam over a stingray, and Irwin followed closely behind.

Suddenly, the stingray threw up its tail and spiked Steve Irwin in the chest, piercing his heart. Irwin quickly pulled out the barb and passed into unconsciousness. The film crew immediately called emergency services and rushed Steve Irwin’s boat, the Croc One, to the nearest city of Cairns to meet a rescue helicopter at the scene. It is thought that the combination of the puncture wound and the toxins from the stingray barb caused Irwin to go into cardiac arrest and die.

Even though Irwin may have left this world, he is unlikely to be quickly forgotten. His enthusiasm for the conservation of wildlife has come to televisions all around the world and inspired many people. The three great passions of Irwin were the conservation of wildlife, his family, and his country.

It is much more important to remember him from the way he lived rather than the way that he died.

Steve Irwin was born on February 22, 1962, to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, Australia. His father was a wildlife expert, and his mother was a wildlife rehabilitator. In 1970, the Irwin family moved to Queensland, where Lyn and Bob Irwin opened up the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. Irwin grew up around reptiles, receiving a 12-foot scrub python for his sixth birthday and handling crocodiles by the age of nine.

After graduating from Caloundra State High school in 1979, Irwin moved to Northern Queensland where he stayed for five years, catching crocodiles that were considered a danger to the public. All of the crocodiles that Steve Irwin caught were sent to the Irwin family zoo. To this day, all of the crocodiles in the Australia Zoo were either caught

by Steve Irwin’s hands or bred there.

In 1991, the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park was turned over to Steve Irwin. He renamed the park the Australia Zoo in 1992. While performing a crocodile demonstration in 1991, Irwin met Terri Raines, a wildlife rehabilitator from Eugene, Oregon. The two married in Eugene, Oregon in June of 1992.

Soon after Steve and Terri Irwin married, they traveled back to Australia to trap crocodiles. John Stainton shot the footage of their crocodile trapping and it became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter. The Crocodile Hunter was first shown in Australia in 1996. It came to North American television screens the following year.

By 1999, Irwin was extremely well-known, reaching 500 million people in over 137 countries with his television shows and making many visits to talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was very famous for his fearless animal stunts. “I get called an adrenaline junkie

every other minute, and I’m just fine with that,” Irwin said.

The Crocodile Hunter did not live without controversy, however. On January 2, 2004, Irwin fed a three point eight meter saltwater crocodile named Murray with one hand while holding his one-month-old son Robert in the other.

This incident outraged many people in Australia, the United States, and around the world. Irwin stated that he was in complete control and that his son was in no danger of being eaten by the crocodile. Despite the outcry of such large numbers of people, Irwin refused to apologize for what he did.

Some people also thought that Irwin came too close to the animals that he studied, and that he frightened and stressed out the wildlife that he handled for his television shows. In June of 2004, Irwin was accused of disturbing wildlife in Antarctica when he rode on the back of a whale and slid down hills with penguins. The case was resolved without charges being filed.

When Cam Mills ’10 was asked what his opinions of Steve Irwin were, he said, “[Steve Irwin was a] pretty cool guy. I was surprised to see him die, but I knew that it would happen eventually.” Mills also said that he thought Irwin helped very much to conserve wildlife, but it was wrong when he fed a crocodile while holding his son.

Irwin’s most important mission was to save wildlife. He was willing to take great risks to show the beauty of wild animals o television viewers al around the world. “I put my life on the line to save animals,” he said. “My belief is that what comes across on television is a capture of my enthusiasm and my passion for wildlife.” Irwin founded a charity called the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which was later renamed Wildlife Warriors Worldwide. He also discovered a new species of turtle while he was on a family camping trip in Australia. The turtle was named Elseya irwini or Irwin’s Turtle. Irwin bought large tracts of land in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the United States to protect the wildlife that inhabited them. Every cent that Irwin earned from The Crocodile Hunter was put towards wildlife conservation.

The world will remember Irwin for many reasons. His khaki outfits, Australian accent, and catchphrase “Crikey!” will probably never be forgotten. However, The Crocodile Hunter said that he wanted to be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm for the conservation of endangered species, and many people will also remember him for just that. Irwin’s wife, Terri, and his daughter, Bindi are determined to keep The Crocodile Hunter’s passion alive. Irwin showed the world that animals such as crocodiles and snakes are not terrifying killers. He helped people to understand that crocodiles and snakes are fascinating creatures and that they need our protection just like the other wildlife on our planet. Throughout his short and exciting life, Irwin was always enthusiastic about what he truly believed in. As he said in his own words, “My mission, my passion, the reason that I was put on this earth was to save wildlife, and I thank you for coming with me.”

In-Depth Feature

The Perpetual “Technology Cocktail Party” Ryan Hooper Royal Oak High School There you are, standing in a room that never existed, the shag carpeting nestled in-between your toes. Several art deco lamps shaded in blue and red stand proudly in the corners, but somehow manage to make the room look dark and crowded.

Laughs are had and heads are tossed back with the many wide grins that make up the vast sea of people around you. They stand so closely and showcase the illusion of conversation. But at the same time, you can’t help but measure the distance between each and every one of them, observing the limp tongues as you make your measurements.

Small screens of varying shapes and sizes are gripped tightly in the hands of the people, emitting an eerie glow onto the smooth contours of their faces and projecting shadows elsewhere. The people treat these screens like portable shrines, all bowing their heads in unison, and fondling these things with such continuity and dedication that you would think these odd devises were used for counting heartbeats.

If you lost your cell phone, would you feel “absolutely lost?”

All those numbers you’ve collected disappearing into the cosmic unknown, all the voicemails that won’t reach you in time. Your fingers become fat and bloated from the lack of text messaging, and everyone notices that they look like disgusting worms since your cell phone went missing. Like John Cusack in “Better off Dead,” all you hear is the polyphonic version of your favorite ringtone. You dream of the key-punching better days, but are left with the reality of the upcoming weekend.

Friday night becomes nothing more than popcorn with the parents.

An M&M gets stuck in-between the cushions as an uncomfortable scene ensues on the television screen. You think to yourself, “Wow, this is extremely awkward” as you and your parents observe the necking routine of Brad Pitt. Maybe your parents feel a little strange too, but both of you know that you’ve gotten too big for the old hand over the eyes.

Saturday night rolls around and you find it’s a repeat of the night before.

A little bit of the banality is washed away because you and your parents grab a bite to eat before the family cuddles up. Red Lobster, classy and affordable. Luckily, this time you remember to pick out a PG-13 movie.

By Sunday, you are invisible.

Like a rejected toy in the corner of a playroom, you become disconnected from the world of instant communication just as quickly as you connected. And although you may know it’s a ridiculous notion, it really does feel like the world has stopped.

And perhaps that is the issue.

Like all stories tried and true, there is a conflict festering underneath the hot spot cafes of our instant society. We’ve applied what we could where we could to a relatively positive effect. But at the parties of our neighbors and in the bedrooms of our friends, we are the zombies and cronies attached to the strings of the mad puppeteer that is instant technology. We are stuck at this perpetual “technology cocktail party,” giving only our partial attention and always looking over our shoulders for that “bigger and better” conversation. Whether it be interrupting a face-to-face interaction with a phone call, or quickly tapping out a text message during a speaker’s presentation, we rep-

resent a society at its most technologically efficient and socially deficient. Like children wiggling anxiously in bed Christmas Eve, we cannot wait to craw our way up the social ladder and check our messages on MySpace.

It’s the latest pandemic that doesn’t give you boils.

One could argue that upon the arrival (and more importantly, upon the social initiation) of the entire “instant this and that,” our society has adjusted well. Many practical and helpful applications have emerged on the humanitarian frontier. The response to a brutal car crash is cut down to a miniscule amount of time, which in turn, saves more lives. And a law signed in October 2006 by our president, George W. Bush, requires a “government-industry group to develop voluntary standards for including emergency alert capabilities as part of cell phone packages.” This means that if the Pacific Ocean was to regurgitate a tsunami on the California coast, everyone within a five mile radius would be notified with a text message.

Thomas Friedman has proven to us the very real act of globalization through cell phones, the Internet, and open source software, and so it is not pointless to applaud the progress that wireless communication has created in the medical and business world. Whether it be connecting two CEOs from thousands of miles away though video conferencing, or making it possible for a doctor to perform open heart surgery from across the Atlantic with the help of robotics, these leaps and bounds are anything but trivial Figures and function In 2001, it was predicted by analysts that 1.7 billion people, one out of every four people on the entire planet, would be equipped wireless subscribers by 2006. Analysts eagerly marked off the days on their cat calendars and when 2006 rolled around, jaws dropped to the floor: 2 billion wireless subscribers! Exceeding the predicted figure by a relatively large margin, everybody from the tech savvy seven-year-old to the newbie grandmother still trying to figure hers out to those left in-between became subscribers. The cell phone manufacturing giants couldn’t be happier to see the market so blanketed. In 2005, worldwide sales of mobile phones surpassed 200 million per quarter- that means that factories are pumping out 25 phones per second.

But what exactly does it take to produce a mobile phone?

Like many things shoved down our throats in America, we often don’t think of the source or how it was made. After all the packaging and public relations are finished, we are so pleased to be able to take off the plastic wrapping without using scissors that we just don’t question. And when it comes to one of the most common electronic devices used in this bright new millennium, we happily play along. The cell phone companies couldn’t be more thankful.

A mobile phone is made up of four essential parts: LCD keypad, speaker/microphone, SIM card (subscriber identity module), and the antenna/ battery which is accompanied by the essential connectors. The LCD screen (Liquid Crystal Display), adored by engineers for the small amount of energy it needs to function, consists of liquid crystals that are charged and activated by the right amount of electric current. The most advanced form of an LCD screen, active matrix displays, are being used for things like handheld color TVs and—you guessed it—cell phones!

In-Depth Feature This is a single story, which may contain a sidebar or infographic from the same author. This is not a spread or a special section. Entries should concern subjects of a substantive and contemporary nature and go beyond the surface facts, give the reader detailed background information with interpretation based upon the facts and background information and often (but not necessarily) an analysis as to its meaning It is an elaboration of the WHY. Multiple sources are necessary.

Guidelines • lead captures attention, arouses curiosity • topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of schools or students • extensive, intensive and thorough investigation • effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing • effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; clearly written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar • balanced and fair presentation

First place winners by division 1 Ryan Hooper Royal Oak

2 Sean Shapiro North Farmington 3 Katie Adams Lakeview SCS 4 Alyson Halpert Community M Jake Busk Traverse City West

Party continued on page 26

A Cut Above 13

Informative Feature Informative Feature Stories should be written to inform or instruct.

Facts are obtained from research, interviews and observations.

Guidelines • leads capture attention, arouses curiosity • topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students • thorough investigation through research and interviews • combines basics of good news and feature writing • organized with smooth transitions • balanced and fair presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Kelly Daniels Grand Ledge 2 Brittany Tovar Holt 3 Ashton Shaffer Haslett 4 Janine Semperger Mercy M Carter Payne Traverse City West

14 A Cut Above

Making the Band Brittany Tovar Holt High School We’ve all dreamed it: standing on stage, the crowd roaring, lights glaring and your best friends playing next to you on your own tour. This is the feeling the guys of The Open Late Thursdays had when they played the Temple Club July 20.

“We all had so much energy and there was such a professional atmosphere with the lights, the stage and crowd,” said Nick Strong, guitarist and vocalist for the OLT. Sounds like the ideal life, doesn’t it? With a little help from the leaders of two very different bands, you can make that rock star fantasy real.

Group dynamics Now that you’ve got a goal in mind, how do you go about achieving the dream? Enlist some bandmates, of course.

There are two tried and true options for putting together a band.

Option 1: Auditions. Put up flyers in the halls, malls and coffee shops. Get your band name and type of music circulating so lots of musicians see your openings. Listen to them play, talk a bit with them and pick the best of the lot.

Bee forewarned, the best musician is not always the best choice. Pick someone with approximately the same skill level as yourself and who is dedicated to the craft and meshes well with the whole band.

Option 2: Pool all of your talented friends together and call it a band. FYI: This only works if your best buds know a few chords or can play the drums.

This route is easiest to foul up. It is tempting to let personal matters leak into band issues and vice-versa when you practice with all your closest friends.

It is important to prevent combining two distinct relationships. OLT handle this issue by allowing their front man, Strong, to handle most issues.

“What Nick says goes. We have a very authoritative system,” said Alex Allegretto, the band’s trumpet player.

Joe Pena’s metal band Strykthra solves band disputes simply by allowing him to make decisions for the band as well.

“I make decisions in the band in the most non-egotistical way.

I ensure everyone gets along by getting them all together and hoping for the best,” Pena said.

Write a song So, you’ve got a group together. That won’t do much for you without any music. Whether the music or lyrics come first, it’s the inspiration that matters.

“My inspiration when I’m writing songs comes from things that happen to me in my life that other people can relate to,” Pena said.

OLT approaches song writing in a similar way, allowing emotions to influence the lyrics.

“Each song has its own way of getting writing. Some songs come from anger… then again, some songs come from silliness and happy memories,” Strong said.

Book a show and record Lighthouse Recording Studios in Diamondale offers a recording studio close to home. It is owned and managed by engineer Eric Wing.

Most projects are done on contracted rates instead of hourly,

which is $95 an hour and range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Scheduling a session is no trouble at all with Lighthouse either.

“The band will pay a deposit to hold session time. If I’m producing we spend a lot of time in pre-production to plan our entire project, from first recording session to the final master. Sessions can be one instrument at a time or an entire band tracking at once,” Wing said.

Each session is part of a complex process.

“During the pre-production the tempo, key, song structure and recording schedule will be determined. When the sessions begin each instrument is recorded onto separate tracks. When everything is recorded, the tracks are edited and mixed to help the band sound their best,” Wing said.

Get groupies Fans are part of any great band. Their purpose is clear: to support you, buy your merchandise and cheer at your shows, but how do you get them?

“Fans always start out as friends. They tell people about you, and you put up fliers for your shows, and tell as many people as you can to come to your shows,” Strong said.

Another easy way to garner some respect is just get out and play. It’s nerve-wracking to be in front of an audience when you don’t know how you will be received. More often than not, however, your attempt will be appreciated.

“Our worst show would have to be Everett, it was our first show and two of the five members didn’t show. It went over better than I thought, being a non-metal environment. I felt like I was in 8 mile with that huge eruption of applause at the end of our set,” Pena said.

If you’re not quite ready to hit the stage, you can let people get to know your music through recordings.

“Once you have recordings, you can put them on your Myspace and as many people as you can, hopefully they’ll give your stuff a listen. Though shows are very, very effective in getting fans, I think recordings are more so, as they allow people to really listen to and analyze your music and appreciate each song as an actual song,” Strong said.

Be famous In the end, your greatest accomplishment may be the school talent show. The band might suck every moment and free dollar out of you, and you may never have your own tour. It might never grow up from its garage band roots, but that doesn’t eliminate the success factor.

“This is what I want to do and the fact that I can make people crazy with the music I make is payment enough,” Pena said about why he keeps up a band that costs him more money than he may ever see in return.

If your idea of bragging rights is claiming you’re in the band, or the perfect career is being a bassist, perhaps you’re ready to start a band.

“Go for it. But be prepared for heartache and a lot of work.

But it’s not always bad, band mates become your family and your shows and fans and the music you write is the fire that fuels that family. It just makes you want to do this forever. Now I’ll go until my heart stops,” Pena said as he parting advice for beginning musicians.

“My advice for people starting bands is always write exactly what you want to write. Don’t settle for less, don’t try for more.

Don’t try to show off or impress. Just write music that you yourself would listen to,” Strong said.

Human Interest

Remembering Bradley The MoCI department experiences the loss of a very special student and friend, Bradley Waskevich Steve Thompson HH Dow High School From the dim fluorescent light in the hallway, room 371 looks like the entrance to a typical classroom, a faded yellow door with small vertical window above a dull silver know framed by two orange brick walls. But behind the door, the classroom’s small kitchen area, colorful bulletin boards and large nametags adorn desks provide the environment for DHS’s MoCI (Moderately Cognitively Impaired) students to grow, bond and prepare for the future- including the tragic moments of life.

“We are all close and we get into routines, and when someone’s not here it’s hard,” teacher Juliet Samocki said.

When the students of the MoCI class returned from winter break they learned first hand what it was like to lose a friend. Classmate Bradley Waskevich, 16, died Dec. 31.

He suffered from muscular dystrophy.

Counselor Kurt Faust helped students cope on the day they returned.

“Emotions ranged from anger to one girl breaking down in tears,” teacher Verita Hayes-Cloyd said. “But it was also a solemn feeling discussing with students. You could sense that they kind of had peace about it.”

The students wrote messages to Bradley about their favorite memories with him and now a black and yellow bulletin board on the far wall of room 371 holds the special moments with their loving friend.

“If you asked one of the students who their best friend was, they would say Bradley,” Cloyd said.

According to Cloyd, Bradley was a leader in the classroom, always separating the class into groups and reminding each student of what their weekly schedule and locker combination was.

“Bradley was bright and had a gentle spirit,” Cloyd said. “He always kept everyone laughing and had a curious mind.”

Paraprofessional Cathy Ayote remembers Bradley always carrying a toy pig with him in his wheel chair, squeezing it

all the time. While paying her respects at Bradley’s funeral, Ayote saw the pig next to the casket and gave it one last squeeze for Bradley.

For Bradley there was nothing better than swimming, bowling and racing his friends in gym class, Ayote said, and he did all of this while battling a serious illness that bound him to a wheelchair.

“He could only move his right hand, but with that short little movement he was able to do so much,” Cloyd said.

Hanging on the bulletin board with his classmates’ memories is a sign that reads, “I’m on 10 minute break.”

Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disease characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement, causing Bradley to lose stamina quickly. Bradley’s brother Steven also died from this harrowing disease in 2003. Bradley would comically hang this sign from his wheelchair, Cloyd said that those moments when he would rest on the napping mats were special.

“I love seeing his wheelchair empty,” Cloyd said, “because it meant he was free.”

Bradley was also a detailed artist, perfecting small sculptures in art class and drawing buildings and bridges.

“He loved artwork,” Cloyd said. “If he wasn’t in our classroom he would probably be an architect.”

His last piece of artwork sits peacefully under the memory his girlfriend, Keli Kuch, wrote about him on the bulletin board.

“I love him because he was the nicest boy in class,” she wrote. “He was sweet and a good person. That’s why he means so much to me.”

Since the MoCI students are with each other everyday from the very beginning of their education, the bonds that are broken by deaths like Bradley’s are hard to deal with for many students, Cloyd said.

“We had to talk about grief and relationships, and the good things of Bradley,” Cloyd said.

And the end result, the memory board, adds to the nurturing and loving environment behind the seemingly typical door of room 371.

Human Interest Feature Human interest features appeal to the emotions of the reader with inspiration, motivation, pathos or humor and often make effective use of quotes.

Guidelines • leads capture attention, arouses curiosity • emphasizes new element, fresh angle • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Kelly Power Grand Haven 2 Steve Thompson HH Dow 3 Morgan Martin South Lake 4 Danie Steinholtz Clarenceville M Ashley Montgomery Traverse City West

A Cut Above 15

Diversity Coverage Diversity Coverage Stories tell about lifestyles, challenges, and potential of those from a diverse background. Will cover more than plight, also includes how the subjects dealt with it.

Guidelines • topic relevant to school or students and reflects lifestyles, challenges and potentials of those from a diverse background • sharp, attention-getting lead grabs reader and arouses curiosity • shows thorough reporting skills though research and interviewing • effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources • balanced, fair and sensitive presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of punctuation

First place winners by division 1 Kelly Power Grand Haven 2 Teal Inzunza Okemos 3 Alyse Snyder Haslett 4 Luis Leon Community M Lane Duckworth Bellevue

16 A Cut Above

Elmo Morales: Freedom Fighter Luis Leon Community High School Elmo Morales was a lean and muscular 9th grader; he was the kind of kid who couldn’t walk down the street without jumping up to touch store signs. It was this lean and tough Washington Heights kid that would, at the end of the year, be devastated by discrimination.

“I scored a perfect score in my regency examination in algebra,” Morales said. Regency examinations were given at the end of each school year to excess their progress. A perfect score was a remarkable performance. “Only eight kids in the entire borough of Manhattan had perfect scores,” Morales said. Two of the eight attended Morales’ school, George Washington high school. Morales and the other student, attending his school, were brought in and accused of cheating. The other student had his mother there to stick up for him but Morales was on his own. “They lowered my grade to an 85%,” Morales said. For Morales, who grew up in the New York ghetto this wasn’t racism- this was the way it was. The incident only motivated him to show the school officials up.

“Growing up in the ghetto, it was survival. It was the Blacks against the Puerto Ricans, against the Italians, against the Jews,” Morales said. However Morales always felt safe in this environment. “We were fortunate in that we were a block form the school yard and a police station was across the corner,” Morales said.

However, Morales said, he was well respected by all the gangs. Morales was a leader to those around him and a very gifted athlete, in both track and basketball. “I’d run through the neighborhoods; not many people did that. If a cop saw you he could stop you,” Morales said. He said the first time a cop stopped him while running was “unnerving.” After a while the police started to recognize him, as his track team was often written about in the New York Times.

Racism did not directly affect Morales, so it stayed at the back of his mind. Until a day that would change Morales life.

On November 22nd 1963, sixteen year-old Morales walked into his math class, an impending test weighing on his mind. He had spent the last night up in the “tar desert”the affectionate name for the roof of his apartment building, studying. Morales was soon severely surprised. “I walked into my math class and my teacher told us the test would be cancelled. She didn’t say why, but we all went down to the auditorium,” Morales said.

Upon entering the auditorium Morales saw that “This fiery man was on stage, everyone was clapping and yelling.”

The man was of small stature, a stature which belied the power of his voice. It was a voice that had inspired a nation

with its call of nonviolence. However, for Morales, it was only a point of interest.

“I turned to a friend and asked who this guy was,” Morales said. This question was answered quickly, with an elbow to the ribs. “Don’t you know nothing Elmo, that’s Martin Luther King,” Morales recalled his friend saying with amusement.

Dr. King’s speaking brought racial equality to the front of Morales’ mind. As leaders of the school, Morales and several friends started a social club, which Morales describes as an “uppity gang.” The social club was called The Social Colleagues and their goal was simple: to mix the races.

Morales recited a popular rhyme of the time: “If you’re white your alright, if you’re brown you can stick around, if you’re black don’t come back. That’s what we were trying to fight.

“We invited the white people and the brown people down to dances in the black neighborhood, Harlem,” Morales said. The motivation for these parties, hosted at the Africa House, was not completely altruistic.” The Jewish girls always liked the way the brown people danced, and of course they were beautiful,” Morales said.

There was not a lot of racial animosity at the parties, mainly thanks to the bouncer, a member of The Social Colleagues named Lew. “When I met him in middle school he was 6’9,” Morales said. He stopped and smiled fondly while talking about Lew. “I’ll let you guess who he is,” Morales said, and then proceeded to reel of Lew’s basketball accomplishments. “He went to UCLA and won three national championships, before playing in the NBA for twenty years and setting the league’s scoring title. His most famous move.” Morales trailed off as he got out of his chair and does a mock sky hook.

“It cost 99 cents to get in,” Morales said. This was because anything over a dollar had to be taxed.” [Lew] had a roll of pennies; he used them for punching too,” Morales said. Lew was a big draw to parties. “People came down to dance and see Lew,” Morales said. The parties were all about bringing people together, and in this they were a huge success. Morales remembers, chuckling that towards the end of the night he would replace the white light bulb with a red one. “That was for slow songs,” he said.

Dr. King is remembered in unfathomable terms, marching 250,000 people on Washington, leading the Montgomery bus boycott, being the catalyst for civil rights legislation. But it seems that among all of these noble accomplishments Dr. King would be just as proud of touching the life of a boy in Washington Heights. Just as proud that this boy would fight segregation around him in a unique way. Just as proud that this boy would bring himself out of the ghetto and become the first person in his neighborhood to attend college.

Environmental Coverage

Too Late to Care for Planet?

Alyse Snyder Haslett High School With almost insurmountable evidence supporting global climate change, Stuart Gage, the director of Michigan State University’s Computational Ecology and Visualization Laboratory, said one of his biggest worries is people’s attitude towards the issue. “What worries me about people’s attitude is why don’t they take the facts,” he said. “Do they want to deny that the earth is warming? What’s all the denial for?”

Gage’s frustrations are not without warrant. America uses more energy per capita than any country in the world. By itself, America accounts for a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas output. “We as a society are so wasteful,” he said. “It’s just part of our culture.”

In order to curb some of this wastefulness, Gage said humans need to realize they’re sharing the biosphere with all life. “We’re all related,” he said. “We’re all part of the cycle.” According to Gage, humans are caught in the belief that there is always a substitute for a resource. This belief could quickly prove to be wrong. “As we use up these resources some of them are not renewable. Climate, in my opinion, is a resource,” he said.

The climate is showing extensive evidence it may not be able to renew itself. According to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, the Arctic Ocean may be completely ice free in the summer months by 2050. The 10 hottest years on record have all occurred within the last 12 years and 2005 was the warmest year in at least a century. An ice shelf 150 miles long and 30 miles wide broke off the Antarctic Peninsula on March 5, 2002 in 35 days, a completely unexpected occurrence. The ice shelf was expected to last another century. “(Global warming is) an overall warming of the planet that is associated with human activity,” state climatologist Jeffrey Andresen said. Global warming is an extension of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence that allows the Earth to sustain human life. Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, etc.) trap rays from the sun and heat the earth. Global warming is caused by an increase in the output of the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The gases trap energy from the sun that would normally go out to space, which causes the surface temperature of the earth to rise more than usual.

The issue, Andresen said, is how much humans alter the composition of the atmosphere and how that might impact the surface temperature of the earth.

So far, the impact has been rather significant. The average temperature of the world has increased one degree Celsius in the past 30 years. “That doesn’t meant the whole globe is warming up, (there) may still be small regions where cooling is occurring,” Andresen said. Projections show temperatures are going to continue to rise. “All general circulation models for here say (it’s going to get) three to seven degrees warmer by the end of this century,” he said.

Some scientists believe global warming is not happening, a point of view that Andresen said is in the minority. He also said science is dependant upon debate, it wouldn’t be safe or right without it. “But there comes a time when the amount of evidence is virtually overwhelming (where) you’re doing a disservice,” Andresen mentions some of the debate in the news

about global warming might not stem from scientific evidence, but political or economic needs. “Some economic entities (who) have major political influence… can spend lots of money to even go get a scientist to prostitute him or herself who says ‘yes I’m a skeptic.’ But there’s very few of those people anymore,” he said.

University of Michigan professor of Atmospheric Science Perry Samson concedes there could be benefits to global climate change. “Good news (is it will) certainly (be a) much nicer climate,” he said. “(There) might be (a) silver lining.”

The topic of global climate change has been hotly debated in the media and politics. Some have claimed global warming is not happening. Andresen said the question of whether the earth is getting warmer or not is ridiculous. “If you take the average of the whole world it’s warming up,” he said. Andresen bases this conclusion on a number of factors such as, instrumental temperature records, thickness of glaciers and onset of growing season.

These factors are only a few of the many things associated with climate, and Andresen said the overwhelming majority of them suggest the earth is warming. “That is undeniable,” he said.

Samson addressed those who believed global warming is a natural process. “All of science links human activity to global warming,” he said.

Another major debate point in popular culture is whether the warming seen in the earth’s temperatures is due to the natural variability of the earth’s climate system. Andresen said there is a large amount of natural variability in the earth’s climate.

“Climate has changed in the past regardless of humans,” he said.

But Andresen said there is a range of new temperatures, determined by some long-term mean, for what is considered within the limits of natural variability. “Right now (we are) at the top of the range and if the trends continue, we will be outside of that ‘natural variability’ within the next decade or so,” he said.

Samson offers other evidence the warming is not caused by a natural cycle. He said typically natural temperature cycles are random fluctuations in range, warmer temperatures for 10 years, cooler temperatures for 20. “We’re not seeing fluctuations,” Samson said. “We’re seeing an exponential curve. This is a systematic warming of the planet.”

Evidence of global climate change is seen even in Michigan.

“In the last 25-30 years we’ve seen a significant increase in temperature here especially in the wintertime,” Andresen said. That increase generally occurs with minimum temperatures at night.

As a result, there is less ice on the Great Lakes than 30-40 years ago and the growing season begins earlier. “For example, on the west shore of Lake Michigan the spring green-up is occurring 7-10 days earlier than it did 30-40 years ago,” Andresen said.

With the current warming trends, Michigan temperatures are projected to continue increasing. Samson said in 30 years Michigan will be more like southern Ohio and in 60-70 years it will be more comparable to Arkansas.

A devastating effect of global climate change is rising sea levels. Projections vary, but sea levels are projected to rise between 18 to 20 feet. This would displace hundreds of millions of people, besides the economic and political toll. In fact, a report recently released by some United Kingdom economists call the Stern Report, found that if firm and decisive action is not taken within the next two decades, the overall costs and risks

Environmental Coverage This story will focus on an environmental, health or science topic. It can be a straight news story or an investigative piece.

Guidelines • topic relevant to the school or students and covers health, science or environmental story that is informative • sharp, attention-getting lead grabs reader and arouses curiosity • shows thorough reporting skills through research and interviewing • effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources • balanced, fair and sensitive presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of third person

First place winners by division 1 Alex Cibor Grand Haven 2 Regan Alsup North Farmington 3 Alyse Snyder Haslett 4 Morgan Gray Laingsburg

Planet continued on page 18

A Cut Above 17

Sports Feature Sports Feature Stories may include personality profile, informative, interpretive (why), and/or human interest specifically related to sports.

Guidelines • lead captures attention, arouses curiosity • emphasizes new element, fresh angle • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate re-search, sound interviewing techniques • avoids summaries of published materials • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the reader’s emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Mike Dolsen Saline 2 Lauren Rimmell Stoney Creek 3 Kevin Cubr Fenton 4 Luke King Community M Tanner Schroder Bellevue

18 A Cut Above

Restore the roar

Tigers go to the World Series Tanner Schroder Bellevue Middle School The score was 3-3 with two men on base. It was the ninth inning. Detroit Tiger right fielder, Magglio Ordonez, came up to bat. He watched the pitch—a fastball up the middle. A hard swing, and it was gone, gone, gone. The Tigers win, the Tigers win!

If you do not know who the Tiger are, they are Detroit’s professional baseball team. In fact, they are Michigan’s baseball team. In the post season, they beat the New York Yankees three games to one. Ordonez’s ninth inning, two out homerun put them into the American League Championship Series where they played the Oakland A’s. They swept the A’s in four

games. Next up—the World Series.

The last few years the Tigers have not had winning seasons. They have not won a World Series since 1984. They are progressing quickly, though, and maybe a World Series win is in their future.

“If the Tigers can beat the Yankees, they can beat anyone,” Tiger fan and math teacher, Mr. Smith says. “Tigers’ success has made baseball more popular in Michigan.”

Seventh grade science teacher Mrs. Morgan predicted, “The Tigers will win the World Series this year.”

Unfortunately, that prediction did not come true as the Tigers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals four games to one. They had an exciting year, though, and Tiger fans are anxious for next season.

Planet, cont. from page 17 of climate change will be equivalent to losing trillions of dollars. Conservatively, this figure would be a loss of five percent of global gross domestic product each year, now and forever. A more liberal figure that takes a wider range of risks and impacts into account, found the damage estimate rising to 20 percent of the global GDP or more.

Samson also believes change must come quickly and aggressively. “I fear maybe we’re getting to a point where we can’t afford the luxury of sticking our heads in the sand,” he said.

Ironically, global warming could eventually cause a cooling problem. The melting of glaciers and Greenland could disrupt the warm ocean currents that control the weather. The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that carries heat from the low latitudes up to the high latitudes. It is responsible for keeping Europe as hospitable as it is. For example, London has the same latitude as central Canada. Without the Gulf Stream, London’s climate would be more like Alaska. The Gulf Stream is part of the Oceanic Conveyor Belt, the system of Ocean currents that control the weather. The melting of Greenland and glaciers could flood the Oceanic Conveyor Belt with fresh and cold water. When the winds would blow over the currents, they would pick up the cold air instead of warm. Conceivably, this could throw regions of the world into ice age.

However, there is still debate about what regions this would affect and how soon. Andresen cited some simulations that have shown the formation of permanent ice fields and, after a

decade, the glaciers begin to form and move equatorward. “A couple more centuries down the line you start to look at ice sheets invading Chicago and Boston,” he said. Samson, however, said North America would not be affected because of the direction the winds would blow. But he still believes the melting could cause regional cooling of Europe.

While the majority of the scientific community has concluded global climate change is happening, much less is known about the specific details and effects of it. “The details aren’t known, (but) you can brush pictures,” Samson said. “(I’m) more nervous about what we don’t know than what we do know.” He sites the fact that scientists never predicted the ozone hole, they simply thought the ozone would begin to diminish, but not at an alarming rate. “What’s the catastrophic event we can’t figure out yet (because) our science isn’t adequate enough to understand it,” he said.

Several innovative and wild engineering solutions have been offered to help curb the effects of global climate change.

According to Samson many of the ideas are pretty far fetched.

Both Gage and Andresen agree the most important step to halting global climate change is awareness and understanding.

“People (need) to understand what the implications are and then people (need) to become conscious of their own actions,” Gage said. “We’ve got the resources but we don’t have the will.”

Samson believes in the innate goodness of humans, and stressed, “Small steps by many is more valuable than large steps by few.”

Sports Column

I find Bevo very offensive Alex Barker Midland High School My dog, my sister and I all bounce up in the air as we hit another bump in the road. As I gaze out the window I think aloud, “Where are we and how is this place even worth my time?”

My dad, quick to draw attention from the often boring eight hour trip to grandma’s house answers, “We’re in Rio Grande! This is where Bevo (pronounced be-voh) Francis played.”

I quickly glance out my window to make sure we are indeed still winding through southeastern Ohio and not anywhere near the border of Mexico before I say, “Bevo who?”

Like most, I’d never heard of the most dominant scorer every to play basketball.

Over the next hour I was sucked into a debate over who was the best scorer to ever live. Trying to prove my father’s ignorance, I listed all the better scorers I could remember, battering him with name after name: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Christian Laettner. He always came back with a confident grin and a stat to match it.

Obviously, Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game is seen as the ultimate accomplishment for a scorer, and I pointed that out first.

My dad quickly retorted, “Bevo scored 113, while tripleteamed.”

Uh-oh, I thought. My dad might actually win a basketball argument.

I tried to continue on and badger him with all the players I considered great, but he jut kept saying the same, devastat-

ing stat over and over: 113 points, 1 game.

After a while I did what any bull-headed kid would do, I gave up reasoning and decided I was still right and he was crazy.

Years have gone by since then, and just the other day when questioning what I should write about, he said Bevo Francis. I had to see about him myself.

Boy was I surprised. Upon googling him I found many sources and picked the one that looked the best: a story done on him by ESPN Classic. Within that story, my imagination could only crawl as I thought about all the things this player must have been able to do. The only word I could find to describe him was scorer. Was it all he did? No. Was it what he did best? You bet; he was the best to ever live.

In 1953 he averaged 46.5 points a game, an NCAA basketball record, making Adam Morrison’s jump-shot look pathetic in his presence.

How about Kobe Bryant scoring 81 on Toronto last season?

Bevo was in the 80’s twice, scoring 82 and 84 in games, basically mopping the floor with those defenders too.

And then there is the question of if he was clutch, like Michael Jordan. The simple answer is yes. In 1953 he scored the winning shot to beat Wake Forest in an upset, 67-65.

Alas, much to my discontent, Francis did not like to travel, and he had a wife as a sophomore. One thing leads to another and before you know it, everyone’s forgotten about him. I’m sure he enjoys smirking over the thought of all the havoc he could have wreaked in the NBA, had he not turned down the contracts.

I hate it when Dad wins a basketball argument.

Sports Column Each story must consist of samples of two columns under the same standing head, authorized by the same writer(s). Each column must carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content.

Each entry in this category must be written by a different writer(s).

Guidelines • sharp, attention-getting lead • expresses personal opinion; uses consistent style; demonstrates knowledge of sports • reflects thought/research, freshness, individuality; avoids cliches • effective use of facts/ quotes or supportive material • informative, interesting, entertaining • upholds journalistic integrity • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Alex Barker Midland

2 Mollie Ballmer Holt 3 Ryan Hundt Haslett 4 Chris Hull Ithaca

A Cut Above 19

Sports News Sports News Sports news stories may include general sports news or sports events and are constructed in news style.

Guidelines • lead features interesting, important angle • uses colorful, lively style • avoids cliches, editorializing • displays knowledge of sports; uses understandable terms • shows research/interviewing skills; emphasizes how and why • effective use of facts/ quotes • proper diction/grammar; use of the third person

First place winners by division 1 Nick Cadena Grand Haven 2 Kayla Bolton & Jared Johnson Groves 3 Nick Brown Fenton 4 Sarah Dolan Laingsburg M Carter Payne Traverse City West

20 A Cut Above

Laingsburg and Bath join forces

Laingsburg/Bath girls varsity soccer team starts the season with fire Sarah Dolan Laingsburg High School The Laingsburg/ Bath Varsity Soccer Team is the team to beat this season with a 10 and 2 record against a wide array of schools outside of the CMAC. Soccer programs such as Hemlock, Chesaning, Grand Ledge, Sexton, and Maple Valley, to name a few, have had difficulty contending with this team.

The team, comprised of Laingsburg and Bath High School girl’s soccer athletes, has been sharing the soccer field for two years. Nine soccer players attended LHS and 6 attended Bath High School to make the varsity team.

Combining students from both schools provides a larger pool of talent and more competitive team.

“The Bath teammates add a lot to our team in personalities, skill, heart, and what makes us, us,” said Rachel List (07).

The combination of athletes in 2005 brought two new coaches to the program. Dave Thompson and Mike Ngunyani co-coach the varsity team. Thompson previously head coached at Grand Ledge High School and Ngunyani played semi-professional soccer in the Chicago area. The expertise of coaching has a large affect on the performance of the athletes throughout the season.

“They’re like coaches are supposed to be. They are the ones that pull us together and push us to be the best we can,” explained List.

The varsity team is made up of all underclassmen, making for a young team. The team is comprised of sophomores Shelby Brown, Sally Charness, and Michelle Mitchell, and

juniors Jessica Koepf, Ashlei Rohen-Olsen, Kayla Edwards, Erin Sherer, Blair Humphreys, Anna Dontje, Amber Crawford, Rachel List and Michelle Flachs.

Though the experience of senior athletes can be a large benefit to the well-being of a sports team. There are positive aspects to the fact the team consists of underclassmen athletes, only.

“There are no seniors on the team so everyone is together working hard because we know this is the team we will have next year. In the end, having a young team will only be a benefit,” commented Michelle Flachs (07).

To complete the young team, four of the fifteen athletes are freshmen. Chelsea Thayer, Jade Hanson, Sarah Scholten, and Brianna Fugate (08) compete the team. Though possibly lacking experience, the athletes are a vital unit of the team.

“I think freshman in general have been very hard working and brought a lot of energy to the field,” said Flachs.

Hard work and dedication of players, parents, and coaches have brought this Laingsburg/Bath soccer a successful beginning to a season. The combined team will continue their battle towards districts.

“I hope we play well enough to continue past districts, to the championship game!” exclaimed Shawnee Walker (07).

Laingsburg Wolfpack and Bath Bee supporters are encouraged to come out to the field and watch their team in action—sharing in this year’s success and anticipating even bigger success next year.

“I think we have a lot more skill this year. And even though we are a young team, we are doing really well,” said List.

Sports Photo Sports Photo Any non-portrait action photo directly related to sporting events should be entered in this category.

Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo as printed and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines • effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black, and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • all elements in photo combine with caption to tell story • action, rather than posed photo • captures dramatic moment

By Kim Gallagher, South Lake High School

First place winners by division 1 Emanuel Johnson Southfield

International, continued from page 11

2 David Inwald Groves

Synopsis

3 Kim Gallagher South Lake

The international Baccalaureate Program is a curriculum designed around the premise of intellectual though and introspective questioning. The material in the classes would be much more concise, while the questions the students are required to answer would be more ambiguous and open-ended. The hope of this being that students will ask more enlightened and relevant questions in the future.

For example, a math course would focus on more tangible topics from the community (i.e. calculating how long it would take for the crew to finish work on the Torrey Road bridge, or the percentages of population growth in Fenton versus Flint) rather than hypothetical story problems about Farmer Frank and the like.

These classes would be required until eleventh grade, with the program starting use in the middle years (6-10), followed by the diploma program (11 & 12) and with the early years (K-5) implemented last.

The optional diploma program is an additional pathway towards graduation that would be available after IB is in place. The diploma program is rigorous, but globally recognized as a high standard of achievement in education. This route is just one way to graduate out of three: the IB program, the AP route with AP classes in tandem with electives, and the normal route with the state curriculum and electives. In grade 11, students choose what diploma program you want to take and up until then, every student takes the general IB Program for their learning style.

4 Erika Edwards Laingsburg M Hannah Wesner Bellevue

A Cut Above 21

News/Feature Photo News/Feature Photo Photos in this category should be non-portrait, non-sports photos based either on on-the-spot coverage of an event that had news value and timeliness, or on the drama and emotion characteristic of features. Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo as printed and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines • effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • all elements in photo combine with caption to tell story • action, rather than posed photo • underscores news/feature importance

First place winners by division 1 Josh Polito Southfield 2 Jessica Laffin Traverse City West 3 Noah VanValkenburg Andover 4 Erika Edwards Laingsburg

22 A Cut Above

By Noah VanValkenburg, Andover High School

Portrait

Portrait Photos in this category must show the personality and/or character of the people and/or animals photographed. No more than two subjects should be featured in the picture.

Sports portraits should be entered in this category.

Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo as printed and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines

By Lindsey Kamen, Gull Lake High School

• effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black, and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • background appropriate for subject • natural appearance rather than posed photo • emphasizes personality of subject

First place winners by division 1 Stephanie Yascoit Midland 2 Sean Cleary Portage Central 3 Lindsey Kamen Gull Lake

A Cut Above 23

Editorial Cartoon Editorial Cartoon This category includes only editorial cartoons.

This cartoon appears on the editorial/opinion page. It makes a point and delivers commentary or opinion.

Guidelines • appears on editorial page • simple in design • shows high technical quality • centered on one topic • timely • subject familiar to reader in everyday life • displays artistic talent • message succinctly stated

First place winners by division 1 Rashad Baiyasi Midland 2 Ian Sinclair Okemos 3 Luke Altomare Dexter 4 Jake Evers Catholic Central

By Ian Sinclair, Okemos High School

Comic Strip Comic Strip Each installment of a comic strip counts as a separate entry. The purpose of the comic strip is to entertain.

Guidelines

• entertaining • simple in design • shows high technical quality • centered on one topic • timely • subject familiar to reader in his everyday life • displays artistic talent • message succinctly stated

First place winners by division 1 Eva Dou Grosse Pointe South 2 Kyle Snarski & Jason Barber Fraser 3 Jake Gilbert Cedar Springs 4 Tracey Parker Shrine

24 A Cut Above

By Tracey Parker, Shrine High School

Illustration Illustration This category includes photo illustration, original artwork or original computer artwork used to establish a theme or mood with the intent to enhance any news/feature/sports article.

Guidelines

By Bjorn Grubelich, Portage Central High School

• clearly develops a theme or mood to enhance story • displays artistic talent within potential for expression using art, photography or computer • photos offer good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black and white • art shows knowledge of composition, line and shading • attracts, holds reader’s attention • uses color, screens, typography and detail effectively • sizes and placement draw reader’s attention to story without overwhelming content • shows thought and creativity

First place winners by division 1 Nate Zemanek Midland 2 Bjorn Grubelich Portage Central 3 Josh Freed Andover 4 Rebecca Zhou Mercy M Staff Bellevue

A Cut Above 25

Information Graphics Information Graphic This category includes charts, graphs or diagrams created by hand or by computer and used to supplement or replace written content and give the reader information in a visual form.

Guidelines • clearly enhances the story • visuals help clarify, simplify or visualize information • visually attractive • avoids excessive lines and/or illustrations that might confuse the reader but shows effective detail • entertaining and/or informative • clear lines and even strokes as opposed to retraced or broken lines • taken advantage of art of computer technology • uses color, screens, typography and placement effectively

First place winners by division

By Josh Freed, Andover High School

1 Rashad Baiyasi, Emily Wolcott & Lauren Bershing 2 Staff North Farmington 3 Josh Freed Andover 4 Susie Drust Sturgis M Lake Duckworth Bellevue

26 26 A A Cut Above Above

Party, cont. from page 13 Like water, liquid crystals are solid at low temperatures and as the heat continues to increase, the crystals melt. When the correct temperature is achieved, the crystals are placed between two pieces of glass substrate, which have been cleaned, polished, and most commonly cut with a diamond saw. Both sides of the substrates are coated in a thin layer of indium tin oxide and a mask of the desired pattern is created using different methods of silk screening or photolithography. This pattern is applied to the substrates, along with a polymer, and the liquid crystals fill the grooves created by the pattern, creating the shapes we see displayed on our cell phone’s screen.

Conflict ringtones In the depths of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, within the intertwining of manmade holes and makeshift tunnels, men are digging. The earth and dirt is smashed deep underneath their fingernails, their hands the only tool they use to mine. The room is limited inside these tunnels, making it twice as difficult to accomplish an impossible task; a task that, if present and exposed in the states would be the headline and ‘latest political debate’ for several months in national newspaper from coast to coast. These men are scabbed, sore and infected from working the depths of these breathing catacombs. These men are digging for cassiterite, the precursor to indium tin oxide. That’s right, brave children of tomorrow. These men are digging for you and me, securing the minerals that run our portable phones.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency, the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) is home to one third of the world’s reserves of indium tin oxide. And in a country and continent where corruption runs steady like the Mississippi, the shipment and cultivation of cassiterite stays true to this unswerving principle. Even the business aspect of indium tin oxide, the buying and selling done by large American telecommunications companies, are dealt with using ‘guerilla tactics,’ leaving American buyers unsure of the actual source.

In the remote villages of the DRC, like the northeastern province of North Kivu, these men risk their lives day in and day out to provide in the same sense as blue collar American men working the assembly line at the Dodge plant work to put food on the table. The difference is that these men scoop the earth with their bare hands with a gun hovering above their perspiration drenched bodies. And even with such a sacrifice, they have very little to show for it.

The mines are most commonly run directly by the country’s military or other armed renegade groups that claim the mines as territory.

Once the miners return from the depths of soil and mineral, the cassiterite is quickly taxed or outright stolen by the soldiers, whose incentive to do so is fueled by the low pay they receive.

Party, cont. on next page

Advertising Layout Advertising Layout This category includes ads for which students have created the artwork or photography, written heads and copy and done the layout.

Professionally created logos may be used. Ads should be attractive, informative and give all essential information. This entry is a single advertisement, not a page of advertisements.

Guidelines

By Allen Farmer, Flushing High School

• copy provides desired information • copy appropriate: concise, specific and fast moving • copy attempts to motivate the reader • illustrations/photos clear • parts of the ad assembled to give interesting appearance (balance) • gaze motion or eye movement arranged properly • distinctive: simplicity, action, emphasis, color, photography • standing details attractively arranged (trademark, name, address)

First place winners by division 1 Bobby Schilke Saline 2 Allen Farmer Flushing

Party, cont. from page 26 This pyramid scheme of poverty leaves the workers empty-handed, the soldiers resorting to violence against their fellow man to gain what they can, and the totalitarian leaders cashing in with big business in their back pockets.

Although the DRC has a land area as vast as Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado combined, it is home to only 300 miles of paved road.

The groundbreaking report by Jonathan Miller for Britain’s Channel 4 in 2005, even the journey to reach these mines is dangerous. With no payment for the actual mining, the workers

are eager to recoup their losses by carrying large satchels of rock and mineral down 40 mile-long stretches of footpaths to the nearest airstrip for reportedly five dollars a day. Miller described these footpaths as “busy as a motorway.”

The price is always increasing and decreasing, but a 50 kilogram pack of cassiterite fetches as much as $400 on the world market. Without this precious mineral, the United States and other world powers wouldn’t be able to manufacture the computers and mobile phones that are becoming the lynchpins of our economy.

3 Erin Spalding Northwest 4 Tommy Tarkleson Lake Fenton

A Cut Above 27

Front Page/News Magazine Front Page Magazine Page contains nameplate and references to inside stories. Page generates reader interest and uses effective photos and/ or artwork. Page will be evaluated for overall use of space.

Guidelines • attractive nameplate, harmonizes with design, includes date, issue, volume, school, city and state • cover should be considered work of art • strongly relates to the inside contents • maintains visual interest • cover illustration (if used) may be compelling in size with a possible teaser headline depicting the mood of the story • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • cover can refer readers to inside pages

First place winners by division 1 Chaz Parks Troy

2 Staff Flushing 3 Logan Reigner, Katie Buschke & Christal Stricklin Lakeview Battle Creek 4 Ben Haddix & John Wallington Community M Staff Mona Shores

By Chaz Parks, Troy High School

28 A Cut Above

Front Page/Newspaper Front PageNewspaper Page contains nameplate.

No advertising used on this page. Page will be evaluated for content and design for overall use of space.

Guidelines • attractive nameplate, harmonizes with design, includes date, issue, volume, school, city, and state • page generates reader interest; showcases important content • sound, journalistic style of writing • maintains visual interest in lower half of page • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • demonstrates effective graphic style, with graphic devices contributing to impact of page • clear relationships demonstrated between story and related pictures/art • cutlines stand out from body copy; effective lead-ins used for longer cutlines

First place winners by division

1 Meryl McCready Wisner Grand Haven 2 Hannah Koaches HH Dow 3 Michael Hamel Andover 4 Staff Mercy

By Meryl McCready Wisner, Grand Haven High School

A Cut Above 29

Story Package Story Package Content should be based on one significant topic built around a dominant story packaged with secondary stories. Does not need to be a true spread or full page design

Guidelines • package generates reader interest; showcases strongest content • one dominant story element and graphic element, packages with secondary elements in form of stories/ graphic • visual elements tie package together to create cohesiveness, even if package extends to another non-consecutive page or does not fill an entire page • graphic devices, if used, contribute to overall impact of package • design reflects effective graphic style, personality of publication • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • content covers appropriate, timely issues/topics • stories written in sound, journalistic style • headlines get smaller in relation to importance of elements in package

First place winners by division 1 Nate Zemanek Midland 2 Melanie Sottile & Sarah Bowman Stoney Creek 3 Staff Traverse City Central 4 Staff Lake Fenton M Andrea Partenio Mona Shores

30 A Cut Above

By Melanie Sottile & Sarah Bowman, Stoney Creek High School

Editorial-Opinion Page/Spread Editorial Opinion Page/Spread Page will be evaluated for content and design. At least one editorial must appear on the page(s) entered. Other items may include columns, bylined opinion, polls, surveys, reviews, letter and cartoons. The masthead is normally on the opinion page.

No advertising should appear on the editorial page, but may be used on the op-ed page.

Guidelines • includes masthead with statement of responsibility for publication • graphic devices, if used, contribute to overall impact of page • cartoon, illustrations are attractive, understandable, using shadings/ screenings • design reflects effective graphic style, personality of publication • opinion supported by facts, research and examples • ads not included on editorial page • strong visual center of interest • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • editorial should be unsigned but clearly identifiable through standing heads and page ID, column width and/ or type size.

• content covers appropriate, timely issues/topics • stories written in sound, journalistic style

First place winners by division 1 Chrissy Gentile Saline 2 Dallad Dralle & Darin Smith HH Dow 3 Bobby Busley, Lynden Baesch, Aly Gibson & Shea O’Brien Traverse City Central

By Bobby Busley, Lynden Baesch, Aly Gibson & Shea O’Brien, Traverse City Central High School

4 Lauren Forrest Laingsburg M Staff Bellevue

A Cut Above 31

Feature Page/Spread Feature Page/ Spread Pages will be evaluated for content and design.

Content may be based on a single story, a package of related stories, or diverse feature stories. Advertising may or may not in incorporated into the page design.

Guidelines • page generates reader interest; showcases strongest content • strong visual center of interest; page maintains visual interest throughout • consistent use of headline styles/typefaces; special types restricted to unique packaging of a single element • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • demonstrated effective graphic style with graphic devices contributing to impact of page • clear relationships demonstrated between story and related pictures, art • content reflects student interest • stories written according to sound journalistic style

First place winners by division 1 Christy Duan Novi 2 Gina Holder & Claire Liang HH Dow 3 Kim Wiesner Dexter 4 John Wallington, Zelda Moran & Courtney Berry Community M Katie Bultema Mona Shores

32 A Cut Above

By Kim Wiesner, Dexter High School

Sports Page/Spread Sports Page/Spread Pages will be evaluated for content and design.

Content is restricted to sports. Advertising may or may not be included on these pages.

Guidelines • avoids sports jargon, cliches • strong visual center of interest; visually attractive top and bottom • demonstrates knowledge of subject • consistent use of headline styles/typefaces; head sizes indicate importance of story • cutlines stand out from body copy; effective lead-ins used for longer cutlines • graphic devices and ads, if used, contribute to impact of page, are attractively packaged, and encourage readership • clear relationship between story and related pictures/ art; potential for each story to draw readers • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, and emphasizing action • page design reflects personality, contributes to attractiveness of page

First place winners by division 1 Jennifer Nigro, Ryan Clarey & Nate Zemanek Midland 2 Michael O’Brien HH Dow 3 Staff Traverse City Central 4 Sarah Dolan Laingsburg M Katie Bultema Mona Shores

By Michael O’Brien, HH Dow High School

A Cut Above 33

News Page/Spread News Page/Spread Pages will be evaluated for content and design.

Content is restricted to news. Advertising may or may not be included on these pages.

Guidelines • most important story is in top half of page • graphic devices, if used, contribute to overall impact of page • design reflects effective graphic style, personality of publication • strong visual center of interest • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • content covers appropriate, timely issues/topics • stories written in sound, journalistic style • headlines get smaller as they go down the page

First place winners by division 1 Chris Jefferies South Lyon 2 Aileen Xu H.H. Dow 3 Kim Wiesner Dexter 4 Mark Fitzpatrick Plainwell

By Chris Jeffries, South Lyon High School

34 A Cut Above

Entertainment Page/Spread

By Rob Abid & Allison Sublett, West Catholic High School

Entertainment Page/ Spread Pages will be evaluated for content and design. Content is restricted to features and news dealing with entertainment (music, plays, movies, reviews). Advertising may or may not be included on these pages.

Guidelines • page generates reader interest; showcases strongest content • strong visual center of interest; page maintains visual interest throughout • includes logos/labels to separate types of entertainment (books, videos, music, etc) • consistent use of headlines styles/typefaces; special types restricted to unique packaging of a single element • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • demonstrates effective graphic style with graphic devices contributing to impact of page • clear relationships demonstrated between story and related pictures, art • cutlines stand out from body copy; effective lead-ins used for longer cutlines • content reflects student interests • stories written according to sound journalistic style

First place winners by division 1 Chrissy Gentile Saline 2 Gina Holder HH Dow 3 Diane Teall Fenton 4 Rob Abid & Allison Sublett West Catholic M Andrea Partenio Mona Shores

A Cut Above 35

Photo Story Photo Story A photo story would include the use of at least three or four photos on a related theme to tell a story. It must include headline and captions and may include copy. Judging will be on the overall impact of the contests and layout. Submit tear sheet only.

Guidelines • page includes at least three or four photos on related theme • headline and cutlines are evident • byline is included • copy, if used, is well-written and appropriate • photos are of good quality • dominant photo is evident • pictures work together to tell the story

First place winners by division

1 Eva Dou Grosse Pointe South 2 Starr Sexton Waterford Kettering 3 Carolyn Alter & Alicia Curtis Andover 4 John Wallington, Ben Haddix & Allison Correll Community M Margaux Lancaster & Maria Taphouse Traverse City West

By Eva Dou, Grosse Pointe South High School

36 A Cut Above

Professionally Published Page Professionally Published Page Page has be to published in a professional newspaper. Send complete page.

Page will be judged on stories, design and photography.

Guidelines • shows balance of news, sports, feature, opinion, indepth • presents evidence of good design (modular, dominant element, visually appealing, etc.)

• page is clearly identified as school/student page • flag is evident with name of school, address, date, etc.

• distinctive style is apparent • editorial is placed in a distinctive location on page • consideration of audience is evident (relevant topic, issues covered)

First place winners by division 1 Jenny Pittel Hartland 2 Staff Fraser 3 Dianne Teall, Nick Brown & Vicari Vollmar Fenton 4 Staff Lake Fenton

By Staff, Lake Fenton High School

A Cut Above 37